Interactions with the external food environment and dietary quality in Thailand and Laos

Highlights • We constructed an index capturing households' interaction with the external food environment (EFE). • Inclusion in the EFE influences dietary quality through consumption of NCD-Protect and NCD-Risk foods in Thailand and Laos. • In Thailand, lower dietary quality reflects reduced intake of NCD-Protect foods. • In Laos, lower dietary quality is driven by higher consumption of NCD-Risk foods. • The effect of the EFE on dietary quality varies according to the stage of market development.